Escaped kangaroo on the run in Austria

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Police in Styria are being given the run-around by a kangaroo that escaped its enclosure two weeks ago and refuses to go back in captivity.

The escaped kangaroo spotted by several residents in the region dispels the popular phrase ‘there are no kangaroos in Austria’, referencing the fact the country is often confused with Australia.

The kangaroo is one of two who escaped their private enclosure in the municipality of Gamiltz in June a few weeks ago.

Although ‘Hanni’ the kangaroo was returned to her enclosure after just a few days, ‘Nanni’ has evaded capture and remained on the loose.

Police believe the animals escaped after children forgot to close the gate to the enclosure after paying the animals a visit.

They managed to briefly secure Nanni a few days ago but, having had a taste of freedom, the kangaroo escaped the cage by jumping over the side and bouncing off.

The animal can jump around two metres high and, according to police, cannot be anaesthetised for fear it will run away and then fall unconscious in the middle of a road.

The owner has offered a reward of €150 for relevant tips as to the kangaroos whereabouts.

The kangaroo has been spotted by several locals, including Rene Bacher who told the Kleine Zeitung she saw the animal on her way to work one morning.

“At first I thought that my eyes were playing a trick on me. But when I pulled up directly nearby, I was certain,” she said.

It is not the first, or even the second, time that an escaped kangaroo has been spotted in the wild in Austria.

In August, a Viennese man was surprised to spot a kangaroo while on a trip in Upper Austria’s Mühlviertel region

After it was reported in the media, one man from Bavaria got in touch with a newspaper to say that he thought the kangaroo may be his pet, Paul, who had been missing since April after escaping from his enclosure during a thunderstorm.

In January last year a kangaroo called Anton also escaped from his owners in Waldzell, also in Upper Austria, and was living rough for four months in snowy conditions before he was recaptured.

Have you spotted Nanni? Send us your pictures: news.austria@thelocal.com

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